Introduction

I wanted to investigate the relationship between the indigenous Mexican art of Aztecs and Spanish Baroque from the postcolonial perspective. The reason I chose to research especially about the churches was the meaning of church in Latin America as a symbol of cultural colonization made by Spanish. The question of my project was this: What were the characteristics of Baroque churches built by Spain during the colonization of Mexico? How where they similar to the arts of indigenous Mexican civilization Aztecs? 

The answer to this question actually shaped my research. To answer this question I searched about characteristics of Spanish Baroque “architecture” but Aztec “sculpture.” Because as a form of religious colonialism, churches were designed by Spanish whereas the workers who actually made the church were local people. Therefore, by means of form, churches I have searched about are very similar to those in European countries and what sets them apart and shows the hybridity is the ornamentation of the churches. The materials used also reflect this hybridity. While the gold and brick are used heavily as in Spanish Baroque architecture, Talavera tiles- which are native to the Americas- used shows the representation of local culture. Vibrant use of color dominated mostly by red and blue are also representations of the Aztec culture. 

Works Cited

Aztec Empire Political boundaries. 28 Nov. 2012, aztecprojectempire.wordpress.com/maps/1-aztec_empire_map-3/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

Map of the European colonies in the Americas around 1763. i.pinimg.com/originals/a5/bf/a5/a5bfa58150c2d8a4d8041229f99a45c3.jpg. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

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